


Floor Routine

by Marie



Category: Avatar (TV), Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Gymnast AU, so AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 20:37:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10838994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marie/pseuds/Marie
Summary: He was a gymnast, which in hindsight explained a lot.





	Floor Routine

He was a gymnast, which in hindsight explained a lot.

It had been a bit of a hazy night before she had met him in the bar - the music had been loud, the room had been hot and the drinks had been cheap. The sex had been pretty loud and hot too - Katara had never seen anyone bend quite like that.

It wasn’t like she had ran out of his room without a goodbye. Out of the two of them she had probably been the one who was most inebriated - her face had flushed red when she had woken up and struggled to remember his name. They had exchanged numbers as she had shimmied back into her skinny jeans with a promise to meet up for drinks (“Coffee - I mean, definitely not more beer - I’d like to know more about you since we… you know…”) after the inter-college sports meets finished the following weekend.

Katara had initially assumed he had suggested they wait so that it would be quieter, but as she watched him chalk up his hands beneath the rings in the middle of the gym floor she realised that he had postponed meeting her again so he could train.

Sokka had finished fencing and was in the locker room showering and changing. She had planned to wait for him outside but then they had called his name (“Aang Gyatso.”) and she had found herself unable to leave. Katara had missed the event calling initially and had been more than surprised when he had entered the floor space in a very tight unitard.

He stretched his arms quickly before nimbly leaping and easily grabbing the rings. The chatter of other students and spectators continued around her, but all of Katara’s attention was now solely locked on Aang’s upper body as he swung a few times to test the rings. The muscles in his arms and shoulders tensed as as he began his routine, his arms spreading wide with barely a hint of a tremble.

Katara wasn’t sure how long his routine lasted for but her eyes never left him as he moved through the air, powered only by his arms. His movements were so sure and steady - she knew Aang had been strong from the way he had easily thrown her about during their late night tryst but watching him now made her stomach flutter.

He dismounted and smiled, nodding towards the judges before heading to the bleachers, grabbing a towel and a water bottle. Katara’s feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she stood and politely pushed her way to the stairs. She was at the edge of the floor space, fingers twisting the end of her braid and staring at Aang before she realised what had happened.

He turned as he wiped the towel down the back of his neck, the water bottle halfway to his mouth when he spotted her. His hand jerked and the water spilled down his front, a bright flush spreading across his cheeks as he hastily towelled his chest. Aang chewed at his lip for a moment before stepping towards her, towel still dabbing at his stomach.

“Uh, hey?” Aang said, coming to a stop in front of her and draping the towel over his shoulder. “Whaaaat are you doing here… watching me…?”

“I’m not - I mean - I wasn’t,” Katara spluttered, her eyes struggling to not drift down past his chin. “My brother was competing - fencing, not gymnastics, which is what you do - I didn’t know you did… this.”

“Yeah, I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember,” Aang explained, capping the water bottle to have something to do with his nervous fingers. He cleared his throat. “I was going to call you tonight… but I guess we’re here now… so…”

“Oh, uh - yeah, you are,” Katara replied. Her eyes shifted, dropping down before flying back to his face. “I mean we are.”

“Do you want to go and-”

“Hey Kat, you ready to head back to the apartment?” Sokka’s arm thudded down on her shoulders. “Oh, what’s up Aang? Have you finished for the competition now?”

“Uh, yeah, just waiting for the scores and then I’ll be done until next season,” Aang answered, smiling at her brother.

“Training’ s never done though, am I right?” Sokka chuckled, glancing between Aang and Katara. “Do you two know each other?”

“Oh… we went on a date the other night,” Katara explained, here eyes meeting Aang’s for a second before she shoved Sokka’s arm from her shoulder. “You’re kind of interrupting something. Can I just meet you at the car in a minute?”

“Sure,” Sokka hefted his sports bag up to a more comfortable position on his shoulder. He glanced between them again before turning and heading out the gym.

There was a moment of silence between the two.

“So… uh, do I want to go and…?” Katara was suddenly nervous again, her fingers back to tugging at her braid.

“Oh… coffee tomorrow? Or whenever suits you?” Aang asked.

“Sure.”


End file.
